Sometime in 1962 it must have been. For some reason we were flying from Biscester probably the time I was towed to Halton to try for my 5hours.
The highlight of my few days there was the honor of flying with Sir Theodore MCEVOY in the Eagle two seater as his safety pilot!!! As it was only my second trip in this aircraft ....
The moment the aircraft started to move on the launch it was like being on rails. Perfection.
What a great gentleman.
obituarys thanks to http://oldhabs.com
ACM Sir Theodore MCEVOY (1915-25)
died on 29 September 1991, at the age of 86.
In spite of his illness, he was an outstanding fighter leader. As
Station Commander of RAF Northolt, he formed the Polish Fighter Wing in
1941, after they had fought magnificently in the Battle of Britain, the
previous Summer. Now they became part of Sholto Douglas's aggressive
policy of taking the war to German-occupied France. Following some
severe losses, Mac decided to test conditions for himself and flew with
the wing, but was bounded on the way home. Badly wounded he crash-landed
his badly-damaged Spitfire at Lydd - in the middle of an anti-invasion
minefield, from which he was gingerly rescued by the Home Guard!
He went on to build a reputation as one of the most accomplished
RAF staff officers of the Second World War, progressing as Group
Captain, Operations HQ Fighter Command in 1942, Senior Air Staff Officer
No. 11 Group in 1943 and of No. 84, the fighter group which supported
the Normandy landing, in the following year. Mac became Assistant Chief
of Staff Policy in 1945 and Director of Command and Staff Training after
the war ended.
He learned to pilot helicopters and, at the age of 51, took a
refresher jet course at the RAF Flying College, Manby. In 1950, he had
become Assistant Chief of Staff Training and then in 1954 RAF
instructor, at the Imperial Defence College. It was at this time, in
1954/55, that he became President of the HOBC, of which he was a life
member. Two years later, he went to Fontainbleau, as Chief of Staff,
Allied Air Forces, Central Europe, returning in 1959 to the Air
Ministry, as Air Secretary. He continued to fly a variety of aircraft
including Meteors, until his retirement in 1962, after three years as
Air ADC to the Queen.
Apart from his calligraphy and gardening, Mac played golf as a
pastime and enjoyed turning out in a foursome of which the other members
were the legless Douglas Bader, the fingerless Arthur Donaldson and the
one-armed Gus Walker.
There follows two widely differing appreciations by his contemporary
Teddy Mautner (1912-22) and the son of another leaver of the twenties -
Gustave J Muteau (1921-25). On behalf of the Association (to which Mac
had been making annual donations since its foundation in 1962) we would
wish to express to Marion (with whom he had celebrated their Golden
Wedding anniversary in 1985) our deep-felt pride of her late husband.
Also, to their daughter Jill and son, Robin.
WRT
Theo was a contemporary of my late father (Gustave F Muteau 1921-25),
and was instrumental in getting him posted to RAF Intelligence where
his knowledge and expertise in languages could be properly utilised in
WW2.
As a result of his friendship with my father he heard of the
abominable state of my handwriting and decided that I should be
privately tutored by him - as he was, despite his injuries, one of the
most noted calligraphists in this country. You see the result, which has
been my normal handwriting every since.
To see him at work with his quills and pens was a great privilege,
which I enjoyed for many years. But my most lasting memory of this great
OH is of him inspecting the CCF at Westbere Road. It was painful for
him to stand for more than a few minutes, even with the aid of his two
canes but he handed them to his ADC and proceeded to inspect the whole
Corps - not just the front rank as many inspecting officers were prone
to do - and then to stand to take the salute as we marched past. For
well over an hour he walked and stood unaided; often stopping to chat to
us. He told my father later that he was in agony the whole time but he
refused to let us down! What a man!
Truly a parfait knight and a gentleman.
C Muteau
Air Chief Marshal Sir Theodore McEvoy KCB, CVE. Did he, in 1915,
envisage this description of himself in later years? I would not be
surprised. When, to us other boys, aeroplanes were just dots in the sky,
by "Mac" they were recognised as Bristol Fighters or Sopwith Pups, or
whatever. If ever there was a boy with a firm and fixed ambition as to
what he wanted to do in life it was Mac and flying. After becoming a
cadet-officer in the School Cadet Corps, he went on to Cranwell and
passed out - predictably - with the Sword of Honour two years later in
1925.
From then his career through the Royal Air Force was one of steady
promotion, and this in spite of a crippling disease of the spine,
spondylitis, which overtook him before he was 30. Whilst it was
developing it caused him intense pain, and it was small consolation that
once his spine had set in its curvature it no longer hurt, but he was
never afterwards able to stand straight. The fact that he was not
invalided out of service is proof of his outstanding qualities as an
airman and a staff officer.
He played a leading part in RAF activities throughout the war,
particularly as Group Captain Operations HQ Fighter Command, and he
served in Normandy, being mentioned in despatches. Subsequently he rose
to be Chief of Staff, Allied Air Forces, Central Europe, at
Fontainbleau. On the way up the ladder as Station Commander, Northolt,
in 1941 he formed close links with the Polish Air Force fighter units,
and received a high Polish decoration.
Retired in 1962 at the age of 58 he occupied his time in a variety
of interests, including gliding, calligraphy, he wrote an exquisite
italic hand, becoming President of the Italic Handwriting Society - and
glass engraving, where in spite of severe eye disability he was able to
apply his calligraphic talent to glass. He also busied himself
politically in anti-Communist activities and will have been gratified to
have lived to see the turn of events in Russia and Eastern Europe. Mac
is survived by his wife Marian, and a son and a daughter, and
grandchildren.
E E Mautner (1912-22)
